Feeding Vegtables/Fruit to Veiled

[UrbanChameleon]

Hey guys! I have a couple of questions and I'm hoping someone could help me out. I have a male Veiled around the age of 3-4 months. He has been fed a staple of crickets since he has been alive. He occasionally gets a worm for treats but that's about it. I live in a small town with limited choices. As of this past month I've been experimenting with fruit and vegetables. I was worried he wouldn't even care for them considering they don't move. But he ended up catching on really quickly! So far he has had strawberry, mustard greens, and carrot. I've given him foods that I've seen in the forum before and that is available organically. I really like this just for the fact it will help with hydration. Since he is so small, I make sure I cut them up to the size of a worm. He ate carrots today and I was concerned with the thickness of them. So I cut them into small/thin slices and he did just fine.

My question is.. what exactly would give him the best nutrients? I know most fruit contains a lot of sugar. I also want to make sure he doesn't get too much Vitamin A. I would like to give him a variety of fruits and vegetables. He's pickier about his insects than the vegetables. Lol. Any suggestions? Since he is young I also want to make sure it isn't to hard for him to chew or digest. I figured Mustard and Collard greens would be #1 pick, but I'm not extremely knowledgable when it comes to nutrients. So I would love to get your suggestions and make a list. Why not just give him the good stuff, AND use the crickets as a pill capsule? The best of both worlds.

Thank you.

 

[wontbme]

yep mustard and collard have high calc. avoid broccoli. theres also a difference between artificial sugar and natural sugar.

veileds have tight jaws and can bite like you wont believe. just dont let the thing "bite off more than it can chew"

 

[BocaJan]

I'd let the crickets eat the carrots and let your chammy eat apples and strawberries, kale, collard greens and other leafy things on the list (check out the feeding forum) Since your guy is small a little bit will go a long way. about 1/2 of mine will eat kale and 1/2 wont. That's about all I can get them to eat. I think Merlin the Magnificient would follow kale around the house if I put it on a string and dragged it around. He LOVES it.

 

[UrbanChameleon]

That's pretty funny Jan! Thanks for the tips guys! I went to all three Pet Stores today and everyone is out of crickets. I think they get them from the same dude and I'm praying they get more tomorrow. All I have is carrots and mealworms at the house. The first time Bodhi ate Collard Greens, he bit off a little too much. I had to rip a big piece out of his mouth. Let's just say he gets baby bites now. Lol. But yeah he seemed to have a hard time getting the strawberries on his tongue. I figured there would be a couple of other fruits I could try. He figured out how to eat it, but it takes some more work on his part. I do remember reading about banana's a couple of months ago. Everyone seemed in agreement that they aren't beneficial. So he's never tried those. I'm glad to know Chameleon's have a good bite. I was worried about that. I do wish I had more of a selection of organic fruits and vegetables. Aslo.. with the dandelion leaves, where do people get those? I'm not sure about getting them outside because of pesticides. I've seen people mention that a lot and have been curious.

 

[kinyonga]

You can offer dandelion greens, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, carrots, squash, zucchini, sweet red pepper, sweet potato and a bit of apple, pear, melon or berries. You don't have to worry about overdoing the vitamin A by giving it greens, veggies or fruit because the source of vitamin A in them is beta carotene and will only be converted as needed.

 

[Emcee101]

Wonering why to avoid broccoli? My niece put sme in while I was gone and at it up!!!

 

[camimom]

Wonering why to avoid broccoli? My niece put sme in while I was gone and at it up!!!

I THINK it blocks the absorption of calcium or some other important nutrient.

 

[whereswaldo]

hey your guys rip them? i got waldo to eat apple for the first time i used the peeler to make thin strips, lol but he wouldnt rp it and i had to dab extra mousture off so it wasnt to wet for him to shoot at, i knoticed he didnt care untill i pinched it in my fingers like i do his worms but his eyes it up the first taste... to add to ur question u mind if i ask how much vegis to give verses live feeders?

 

[fluxlizard]

There are some great ideas online for iguana salads that you can use.
When I feed them carrots, I shred them with a potato peeler.

 

[UrbanChameleon]

Thanks for all of the feedback guys! Bodhi is really liking his Collard Greens now a days. Even though he loves carrots I think I will refrain from them. Mostly everyone I've asked is on the fence about it. I've heard that broccoli is bad for a while now so it's never been an option. I'm pretty sure I heard the same thing about it blocking calcium intake. Luckily there's many other options out there. You would think living in a small town we would have plenty organic vegetables. But no.. my town sucks. We don't have many family owned stores. Every time I go to Walmart their Collard Greens, Kale, & Turnip Greens look so old and yucky. I find Kroger has more organic and fresh veggies and fruits. Sadly most of the organic is things Bodhi cannot eat. I wish I could find cool things like bee pollen and fresh non-coated/processed nuts for the feeders. Everything is so typical and processed. Welcome to America.

 

[ChameleonNerd]

i feed my girl red bell pepper all the time and she loves it!